Ralph Hendricks, North Greenville Donor and Friend, Dies at Age 101

“Ralph
Hendricks loved students and loved matching his philanthropy with ways that
provided them opportunities for the future,” said NGU President Dr. Gene C.
Fant, Jr. “He provided scholarships for dozens of NGU graduates, supported NGU
athletics, served our board with distinction and was a churchman without peer.
We will miss his gentle spirit, his wit, and his incredible insights.”

Hendricks
was born in Bowman, GA, April 27, 1917 and was the oldest of six children.
Growing up during the Great Depression, the Hendricks family moved several
times during his early childhood. He always said that one of the best decisions
his father ever made was moving to South Carolina when Ralph was 15 years old.

Since
he was the oldest child, he had to start work at a very early age to help
support their family. Due to this fact, he never received much education, which
resulted in Hendricks having a strong desire to encourage young people to get a
good education before stepping out in the world to pursue their dreams.

In
1939, his family moved to Fountain Inn, and in 1940, at the age of 23,
Hendricks married Virginia Webb. In 1943, Hendricks entered World War II where
he served in the U.S. Army for three years in the Panama Canal region.

After
the war, Hendricks returned home safely and secured a job with his
father-in-law, who was part-owner of a building supply operation in Simpsonville.
In 1957, Hendricks’ father-in-law retired and gave him the opportunity to
purchase his interest and become part-owner and manager of the building supply
business. After many years of hard work, the business grew during the decades
of the 1970s and 1980s, providing Hendricks the opportunity to expand his
business interests by getting into land development, where he specialized in
selling lots and building homes.

He
donated land and money to build the Hendricks branch of the Greenville County
library on Main Street in Simpsonville. He served on the boards of The Palmetto
Bank and the Greenville Tech Foundation. He served on the board of trustees at
NGU and Furman University and as a commissioner at ReWa.

In
1985, Hendricks’ first wife Virginia passed away suddenly but before her death,
the couple had discussed and explored ways they could give back to the Lord by
helping young people in the Simpsonville area. From this desire to help others,
Hendricks decided to create the Ralph and Virginia Hendricks Foundation with
the primary mission of providing college scholarships to young people.

In
1986, Mr. Hendricks married Marion Hubbard, and they have worked together on
the foundation to make a difference for God’s kingdom and assist young people.
In fact, the Hendricks Foundation has helped hundreds of students from
Hillcrest High School and Woodmont High School with scholarships to attend
Greenville Tech, Anderson University, Furman University, and NGU.

According
to Hendricks, one of the greatest joys in his life was to receive “thank you”
notes from students that had benefitted from their scholarships.

In
2013, Hendricks was awarded the Order of the Silver Crescent Award from the
South Carolina State Senate. The Order of the Silver Crescent is awarded to
residents of South Carolina for excellent performance, contribution, and
achievement within the community. It is the state's highest award for volunteer
and community service. The SC Senate signed the proclamation in Hendricks’
honor on May 7, 2013, recognizing his service on the City Council in
Simpsonville for nearly 15 years, including 12 years as mayor of Simpsonville.

In
1997, the Hendricks established the Hendricks/Hillcrest Scholarship at NGU, which
provides tuition assistance for Hillcrest and Woodmont High School graduates.
In 2005, NGU’s Hendricks Athletic Center was opened as a football operations
center. In 2013, Hendricks was the recipient of NGU’s 2013 Board Leadership
Award, given to a trustee whose support of NGU serves as an example to others.
Also in 2013, the university awarded Hendricks an honorary Doctorate of
Christian Leadership.

Nearing
his 102nd birthday, he was still was very active and enjoyed going to the
office to take care of the day to day operations of his business, Hendricks
Properties, Inc.

The
family will receive friends on Tuesday, February 19 from 5:00-7:00 p.m. in the
Main Worship Center of First Baptist Church, Simpsonville.

A
funeral service will be held in the Main Worship Center of First Baptist
Church, Simpsonville on Wednesday, February 20, 2019 at 2:00 p.m. Burial will
follow in Cannon Memorial Park.

A
wreath has been placed on the front door of the Dr. Ralph and Marion Hendricks
Athletic Center on the Tigerville campus. Flags on both NGU campuses have been lowered
to half-staff until after the funeral service.

Photo: Dr. Ralph and Marion Hendricks at the dedication ceremony of the Hendricks Athletic Center in 2005.

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